Electrically-operated clock



March 1 B. c. CAMPBELL ELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLOCK Filed Aug. 21, 1924 Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNH

raiser rice.

BURTCQLIN CAMPBELL, -01 CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ELECTRICALLY-OPEBATED CLOCK.

Application filed August 21, 1924. Serial No. 733,350.

The objects of the invention are to provide electrically and intermittently operated means for rewinding the actuating spring for the escapement of a clock, thus always keeping the clock in service, and lessening f the danger of inaccuracy of movement of the motor spring.

regular rewinding, at very short. intervals of time.

The: invention includes an automatically and electrically wound clock in which a contact member operatively connected with the movement of the escape orsecond hand wheel closes the circuit to an electrically operated device for revolving the clock train, and through this agency the spring which actuates the escapement of the clock, is periodically rewound at intervals of one minute each.

It includes a resilient actuating spring-for revolving the arbor of the second hand wheel and said contact member over the face of a dial, and fixed contact members on said dial bridged by said movable contact member to close an electric circuit leading to said train operating device. The revolvable contact member is adapted to bridge over said fixed contacts once in one complete revolution of the second hand wheel and the electric circuit is then closed to the mechanism which rewinds the escapement actuating spring previously mentioned.

.The escapement spring is thus re ularly.

side elevation thereof; Fig; 3 is an elevation of the dial on the secondhand arbor and the stationary contacts thereon, and circuit closing hand; Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the escape arbor and hub; Fig. '5 includes side and rear elevations of the barrel for In these views, and B represent the spaced front and rear frame plates of the clock, connected rigidly to ether at B; C is the main arbor mounte in these plates and connected with intervening arbors D and E, by means of the train of gear wheels and pinions F, G, H, I, J and K. K is the independent arbor of the second hand wheel, K operated by the resilient driving spring K and its barrel K mounted upon the last pinion K of the clock train, and O is the escapement. The spring K operatively connects the arbor K of the minutes or escape wheel and the pinion K and spring barrel K so that when the spring is wound up it will revolve the second hand R, preferably made of spring metal for a period or one complete minute, or sixty seconds. about the seconds dial K.

At S and S are shown spaced contact members on the dial in the path of the secondhand R as it revolves about the dial. Those are the terminals of an electric circuit T including the electro-magnet U, which, when energized, actuates the gear train to rewind the clock. A metal roller V upon the outer end of the second hand R is ralsed and drops between and bridges these contacts once in every revolution of the second hand wheel and closes the circuit T leading to the magnet, as the second hand arrives at the point and closes the electric cirwit to the magnet.

When energized, the magnet draws forward the armature W, which is rovided with the pawl X at its outer end. his pawl engageswith the ratchet wheel Y upon the main. arbor and turns this arbor and the train of gears through an arc sufiicient to rewind the spring until it can carry the escapement through another minute.

A spring W returns the armature to place when thelcircuit is broken. A raised member Z upon the-"dialadjacent to the contacts S, S elevates the roller and permits it to drop briskly upon the contacts, thus keeping the surfaces of the contacts bright.

The operation of this device equalizes the movements of the escapement mechanism and controls the movements of the clock without producing any strain upon said escapement mechanism, and at the expira-- tion of sixty seconds the hours hand is moved forward and the entire train is set up by the ratchet one minute.

This is accomplished as follows: When at each revolution of the escape or second hand wheel, the electric circuit is closed by bridg- I another minute,

pinion, and minute hands thereon, a ratchet wheel spring to run ing the contacts by means of the secondrun the escape or second hand wheel for. thus keeping the tension of.

the spring power upon the arbor of the escape or second hand wheel uniform at all times.

The escape of the clock functions without, and independent of, any friction or binding attendant upon pivots, train wheels, or any other part of the clock operation. Preferably the coiled spring for the second hand wheel should be overwound at the start, so that it will never become totally unwound, but will exert a constant equable strain upon the escapement. In this manner the whole train stands still, while the escape carries on itsundisturbed time. keeping action, during each whole minute between the several impulses.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electrically controlled clock, in combination with the arbor of the spring second hand wheel, a spring second hand thereon, a dial therefor, a pinion and barrel, and a coiled spring operatively connecting said barrel and arbor, spaced contact members upon said dial, and awedge shaped bridging contact member upon said second hand.

2. In an electrically controlled clock, in combination with the arbor of the second hand wheel, a second hand thereon, a dial therefor, a pinion and barrel, and a coiled spring operatively connecting said barrel and arbor, spaced contact members upon said dial, a wedging roller acting as a bridging contact member therefor on said second hand, a clock gear train for operating said an. hour arbor in said train, hour on said arbor, a pawl for operating said arbor, and. an electrically operated device for actuating said ratchet on said hour arbor, to advance said minutehand one minute, and set up said train to wind said the second hand wheel through the space of a minute, and an electric circuit connecting said contacts on said second hand wheel with said electrically operated device.

3. In an electrically controlled clock, a,

clock train, an hour arbor and hour and minute hands thereon, a dial therefor, and

a separate arbor, a second hand wheel there on, a pinion in said train, a coiled spring operatively connecting said pinion with the arbor of said second hand wheel, electrically operated means for advancing said hour arbor and minute hand thereon through the space of one minute, a movable contact member upon the arbor of said second hand wheel, an electric circuit and terminal contacts therein bridged simultaneously by the wedging action .of said movable contact member once in each revolution of said second hand wheel to close the circuit to said electrically operated train advancing means.

4. In an electrically operated clock, a clock train, an electrically operated actuating means therefor, a separate arbor, a second hand wheel thereon, a coiled spring opcratively connecting said arbor and train, an electric circuit and spaced contacts in said circuit, a wedge-shaped bridging contact member revolvable with said second hand Wheel, and adapted to close said electric circuit once in one revolution of said second hand wheel.

5. In an electrically operated clock, a clock train, electrically and intermittently acting means for operating said train, a separate arbor, a spring coil connecting said train and arbor, a second hand on said arbor, a dial therefor,

an electric circuit, spaced contacts on said.

asecond hand wheel thereon,-

dial for said circuit, and an insulated metal roller having a beveled edge on said hand for bridging said contacts once in each revolution of said hand.

6. In an electrically operated clock, a second hand wheel, a spring second hand thereon, an insulated contact member on said hand having a beveled edge, spaced contacts in said dial, a projection on said dial adjacent to said contacts, adapted to raise and drop said bridging member upon said spaced contacts once in each revolution of said second hand wheel.

7 In an electrically operated clock, a second hand wheel, aspring second hand thereon, an insulated contact member on said hand, said contact member comprising a metal roller having a beveled edge, spaced contacts in said dial, a projectionvon said dial adjacent to said contacts, adapted to raise and drop said bridging member between said spaced contacts once in each revolution of said second hand wheel, a clock train, electric means for intermittently operating said train, and an electric circuit therefor, in which said spaced contacts are situated. v

8. In an electrically operated clock, in combination, an independent second hand wheel and arbor therefor, an insulated hand thereon, a roller mounted upon said hand in each revolution of said second hand wheel,

and a projection upon said dial adjacent to saidcontacts, and positioned in the path of said roller.

9. In an electrically operated clock, a clock train, pawl and ratchet means for operating the same, an electric actuating device. for said pawl, an escapeinent and an es apement wheel and arbor therefor, an operating spring for said escapement wheel arbor, one end of said spring being connected with said arbor, and the. other end with a pinion on said clock train, an elec tric circuit for operating said electr' actuating device, and contacts in said circuit closed by the revolution of said escapcnient wheel arbor once in each revolution thereof to advance said clock train one minute, said clock train also serving to rewind said spring on said escapement. wheel arbor.

10. In an electrically operated clock, an escapement and independent esea wincnt wheel, an arbor therefor, an operatingspring upon said arbor, means operatively connected with the clock train for rewinding said spring, electrically operated means tor advancing said clock train one step for each revolution of said escapelnent wheel arbor, an electric circuit there for, and contact nienr hers in said circuit closed by the action of said escapelnent wheel arbor once in one revolution thereol'.

11. In an electrically operated clock, a clock train, an escapeinent, and an adjacent. escapenient wheel and arbor therefor, a second arbor in said clock train in which said escapeinent wheel arbor is journalltal, a pinion thereon, an actuating spring having one end engaged in said eseapenientz wheel arbor, and having the other end engaged in said pinion, pawl and ratchetgnieans for operating said clock train, and electric means for actuating the same, and contacts closed once a minute insaid circuit by the opera tion of said arbor for said escapcnient wheel.

in testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 26th day of July, 1924.

BURT (OLlN CAMPBELL. 

